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Cracker Barrel told me rice was a vegetable when I asked what the vegetable of the day is. I asked for clarification and sure enough..

I worked there for about a month and wasn't a fan at all. When travelers think of where to stop off to eat, they wanted us to be competitive in speed with McDonald's... Seriously! They were constantly yelling, "ONE STOP SHOP!!" which means you get the customers order when you go and greet them and get their drink order.

Due to this, if you had been there a few months or less, you typically got two, 2 seater tables. With most checks coming up to $15-$20 dollars, tips weren't great.

Something else I found unique was we had to learn the history of Cracker Barrel. Those stars on the server's aprons: those are earned through testing on Cracker Barrel history, food arrangements, and menu facts. I never earned a star prior to quitting...

Something ELSE I really disliked was even the vegetables have bacon grease in them. I know many people here would love that, but I always felt bad the vegetarian customers couldn't even eat the vegetables on the menu.

One thing I liked was one of the managers had a son with a food allergy, so if a guest had food allergy questions, he'd go talk to them then talk to the cooks to make sure everything went smoothly.

Overall, definitely not for me. I haven't been back since I quit. *rant over*

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Sort of a reverse CW moment. A neighbor came home from work early because she's feeling flu-ish. As soon as she told me, I went to my freezer and got a container of the bison bone broth I made yesterday. I gave it to her, telling her that it would be the healthiest thing she'd eat all day. She said, "Oh I can't..." For a split second, I thought she was referencing something like, "I can't take your food." Then I remembered - she doesn't eat anything she perceives to be sentient. Her protein sources are eggs, dairy, and stupid fish/seafood. Stupid as in you can't teach it anything. I had completely forgotten. I felt like the person who offers a cookie to a paleo/primal person.

I had an Oscar, a type of Cichlid, that I had trained to jump up and take pellets out of my fingers. One day a buddy of mine was doing it and holding his hand higher and higher to see how high the fish could get. On the last attempt the fish fell OUT of instead of back into the aquarium. From that point on, the fish would look at that pellet and swish his tail, but wouldn't jump for it.
I'm not suggesting this proves a high level of reasoning, but it does seem like they have some memory...

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Unconventional wisdom thought: Maybe this proves that I was never a vegan at heart, but I always felt eating the remains that most people don't want (bones, organs, feet...) wasn't the same as eating the popular cuts that supported the industry. Like somehow it was even more disrespectful to throw away perfectly good meat after an animal already died for it's steaks and burgers. Yup, I'll never make a good vegan.

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Not exactly funny, but I felt this was a good place for this little story about the power of real food. I'm sorry it's long, but it is about a very special guy.

My grandpa is 90 and was a baker from ages 15-88. He was always the elderly person people ask "what's your secret?" He'd always say "stay away from old people" hence why I hung out with him at least 10 hours a week growing up.

Anyways... he has become quite ill (congestive heart failure). I was visiting him at the hospital, and he lamented, "Now the food they give sick people isn't even real food, you don't know what is in it. Food used to be made fresh each day." It really struck me how correct he is in this observation. It also struck me how awful it must be to have been a baker for 70 years then be given mass-produced bread, especially at a time where good bread could be a comfort.

Knowing after 70 years of baking, and at the end of his time, I'm not going to help things by enlightening him on paleo eating, I went out an got organic ingredients and made him homemade honey wheat bread and home-churned butter. As soon as it was done, I drove straight to the hospital and took it to him. I couldn't eat it (celiac). He can't eat much, but after the first bite, he closed his eyes, and said "Mmmmm, that's bread." It warmed my heart to see him have the comfort of warm, lovingly made bread. I told him how I got all organic ingredients and such and asked for tips for next time. He was enthusiastic about how important eating close the the source and food without "stuff" in/on it is.

Back when I wasn't eating meat, he'd tell me it wasn't a good idea. I told him I took a good iron supplement and he said "That's not the same at all honey, all that will do for you is give you rusty pee." :P

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Let me preface this by saying I absolutely love my MIL and that I'm happy she's at least trying to help me. That said, she occasionally gets a little confused.
She came back from the store with a package of something by a well known alternative flour company. She hands it to me and goes "I know you can't eat real flour or anything like that, but can you eat this, hon?" It was a package of vital wheat gluten. I told her that was actually something REALLY bad for me and went into a bit more detail on what exactly I could and couldn't eat. I later gave her a list.

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, steak in one hand, chocolate in the other, yelling "Holy F***, What a Ride!"
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